Portland is Oregon’s largest city & considered one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. Who can argue with the luscious green parks & hiking trails, the friendly residents, amazing food, & quirky businesses that fill this city?! All of this abuts vices done well - whether its microbreweries, dispensaries, or coffee houses. Portland is a unique place to explore & get a little bit of everything all in one place.

Portland has plenty of public transportation. You can take the Max Light Rail, Portland Streetcar, or the buses. That said, the hours can be limiting depending on when & where you’re traveling. Lyfts are everywhere & probably the easiest way to hop neighborhood to neighborhood. And because it wouldn’t be the hipster Mecca it is without it, you will find bikes & scooter rentals like Bird around every corner. As far as city layout, you’ll find that much of the shopping & restaurants are on the East side of the river while the history, business district, & hotels sit on the West.

The Max Light Rail Red Line is an easy way to travel to & from the airport. The trip takes about 40 minutes & a ticket only costs $2.50. FYI the ticket machines return change in coins. You can also take a Lyft for $25-30 which takes about 15-20 minutes.

Named after Portland, Maine in 1845, Portland was originally a small stopping place travelers used en route to bigger cities. It was simply referred to as "the Clearing" before then. Portland continued to grow in size & by the 1960s, Portland became renowned for its progressive political values & earned a reputation as a bulwark of counterculture. Today it is the 26th largest city in the US & proudly & uniquely all its own, giving us a huge comedy scene, Nike, diehard sports fans, incredible restaurants, & some of the best breweries & dispensaries in America.

Portland is a city with a loud & proud personality. "Rose City" is known for its beer, food, & funky neighborhoods as well as seamlessly being able to blend nature & city, cheap food trucks with famous chefs & quirky weirdness around every corner. In fact, the city’s motto is “Keep Portland Weird,” & boy does it live up to it.

The summers in Portland are short, warm, & clear, with highs in the 80’s & lows in the 50’s. The fall is brisk with temperatures ranging from 40°-60°. Winter is the rainiest season - it actually rains almost every day in some capacity - with temperatures between 30-40° -while the spring hovers between 40°-50°.

Portland is known for great food at every level. You can find some of the best food trucks in America in this city. Also while in Portland make sure you try the donuts - they’re iconic. Voodoo is the most famous but Blue Star gives them a run for their money. Also, anything rose infused is a must in Rose City. And of course, be sure to have a cup of Stumptown coffee & a locally brewed beer!

Portland is weird & your swag should be too! Buy locally made pieces like honey, salami, or chocolate, something from a local shop on Hawthorne or a book from Powells! And don’t forget Stumptown cold brew for the flight home.

Be ready for rain. Locals wouldn’t be caught dead using an umbrella but we won’t judge. Think plaid hipster with some grunge thrown in. Lots of North Face, Patagonia, & REI for the nature lovers. Wear whatever you feel comfy & adventurous in…& maybe a rain coat.

PDX is known for its teal carpet. Snapping a pic standing on it is a rite of passage. Also, most restaurants don’t take reservations, so plan to wait & there will probablu be lots of hopping from the east side to the west! Also, Portland is a “sanctuary city” which means there is a large homeless population as the police don’t remove individuals. Don’t be nervous, no one will bother you, just stay aware of your surroundings like any large city.